The Twins haven&8217;t been bad. But they haven&8217;t been good either.

So as Twins fans it has been difficult this season to really get our hopes up for postseason success.

But then the Oakland A&8217;s came to the Metrodome after the All-Star break, and the Twins swept the four-game series. How about that?

The team looks good, too, and now we like everyone else have memories of the 2003 winning streak. That&8217;s the year the Twins swept the A&8217;s for four games right after the All-Star break to kick off a 46-23 roll that put the Kansas City Royals into the doghouse and them on top of the division.

And in the doghouse the Royals remain today. (Snicker, snicker.)

This year, the Twins don&8217;t have it as easy as then because they are six games behind the Detroit Tigers, a much better team than the 2003 Royals.

Still, our hopes are up. We are paying closer attention now. Can the Twins give the Tigers and the Cleveland Indians a run for their money? We believe they can? It&8217;s just a matter of whether the Twins believe they can.